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After The Debate: The Facts On Where The Candidates Stand On Crucial Issues

Here are the facts on the actions and positions Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, Joseph Biden, and Barack Obama have taken on issues which may be particularly important to women:

THE LILLY LEDBETTER FAIR PAY ACT: a bill to make challenging unequal pay easier for women, which passed the senate 61-36

RYAN: Voted against.

ROMNEY: Declined to state whether he would have supported.

BIDEN: Voted for.

OBAMA: Voted for, and it was the first bill he signed into law as president.

BIRTH CONTROL: accessibility and insurance coverage

RYAN: Opposes. Introduced “Personhood” amendment that would outlaw some forms of birth control, and has vowed to revoke the ACA, including its requirement that birth control costs be covered by insurers, on “day one.”

ROMNEY: Opposes. During a town hall in March, he told a voter to “vote for the other guy” if she wanted access to “free birth control”; Has said he disagrees with the Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut, recognizing the constitutional right of married couples to use contraception, and would leave the issue to the states, making a woman’s (or man’s) right to obtain and use contraception dependent on where that person lives.

BIDEN: Supports. Reportedly warned Obama that insisting on birth control costs being covered by the ACA would cost him votes.

OBAMA: Supports. Signed Affordable Care Act into Law.

WOMEN’S CONTROL OVER REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:

RYAN: Opposes. Has said, “I’m as pro-life as a person gets. You’re not going to have a truce. Judges are going to come up. Issues come up, they’re unavoidable, and I’m never going to not vote pro-life.” Has voted 60 times, consistently anti-choice, including votes to ban access to abortion in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Cosponsored “Personhood” legislation that would outlaw abortion and some forms of birth control.

ROMNEY: Opposes. On his campaign’s official website, he asserts that “Americans have a moral duty to uphold the sanctity of life” and “the right next step is for the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.”

BIDEN: Supports. Doesn’t think the government should be involved in making judgments on whether a woman can, or should have an abortion, but opposes public funding for abortion.

OBAMA: Supports. Advocates allowing women to make “these profoundly difficult decisions” themselves, and says on official website that he “believes a woman’s health care choices are personal decisions, best made with her doctor—without interference from politicians.”

STEM CELL RESEARCH:

RYAN: Opposes. Voted against allowing embryonic stem cell research.

ROMNEY: Opposes. Stated opposition in 5.3.07 GOP primary debate. Official website states, that when “confronted with the issue of stem cell research as governor of Massachusetts,” he chose “to support life.”

BIDEN: Supports. Voted yes on Stem Cell Research Act of 2007, Stem Cell Research Hope Act of 2007, and Stem Cell Research Bill of 2005, all of which passed Senate with strong bi-partisan support.

OBAMA: Supports. Signed executive order to set in motion increased funding for stem cell research, reversing Bush directive banning federal funding for research other than on already established lines.

PUBLIC FUNDING OF PUBLIC BROADCASTING, including early childhood education programs like Sesame Street:

RYAN: Opposes. His proposed budget would cut funding.

ROMNEY: Opposes. Would vote to defund in favor of “free enterprise,” which would presumably include commercials or be limited to those who can afford to pay.

BIDEN: Supports.

OBAMA: Supports. Appropriated $445 million in fiscal 2012 to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting

RAPE/VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT: The Violence Against Women Act—landmark legislation to prevent rape from being written off as a woman “asking for it” or sexual miscommunication, and domestic abuse from being dismissed as a “family matter”—passed in 1994 with strong bipartisan support, but expired last year. The Senate passed a reauthorization with strong bipartisan support (68-31). The House has refused to allow the Senate version of the bill to come up for a vote, but instead passed their own version, which excludes protections included in the Senate bill for immigrants, American Indians, gays and lesbians, and student victims.

RYAN: Voted for Republican version of VAMA. Co-sponsored House Resolution 3 (to “prohibit taxpayer funded abortions and to provide for conscience protections”), which would have narrowed the rape exception for abortion access to cases of “forcible rape.”

ROMNEY: Was “not familiar with” the landmark VAWA when asked about it during 2008 campaign, but now supports some version of it.

BIDEN: Authored the original VAMA, and continues strong support.

OBAMA: Supports the Senate bill and has threatened veto of the weaker House version.

ROMNEY: Opposes. States on his official website that” he will end federal funding … Planned Parenthood.”

BIDEN: Supports.

OBAMA: Supports.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FUNDING:

RYAN: Opposes. As chair of the House Budget Committee, Ryan was the architect of a plan that proposes to cut $1.1 billion from early childhood education.

ROMNEY: When asked by NBC’s Brian Williams about plans for early childhood education, responded with an answer about the benefit of having one parent stay at home while children are young. His official website page on education addresses only K-12 and higher education, and does not address early childhood education.

BIDEN: Supports. (See Obama, below.)

OBAMA: Supports. Obama-Biden “Zero to Five” plan would invest $10 billion per year to create Early Learning Challenge Grants, quadruple the number of children eligible for Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding, and improve the quality of both. He has vowed to work to ensure all children have access to pre-school, and create a Presidential Early Learning Council to increase collaboration and coordination across federal, state, and local programs.

ROMNEY: No Public Position. No public position on the Healthy Families Act, which would allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days per year.

BIDEN: Supports. Did not vote on 2008 law, but fought for Family and Medical Leave (up to 12 unpaid weeks)

OBAMA: Supports. Has indicated support, and 2011 budget established a $50 million State Paid Leave Fund within the Department of Labor to provide competitive grants to help States that choose to launch paid-leave programs cover start-up costs.

Meg Waite Clayton is the nationally bestselling author of four novels, including The Four Ms. Bradwells,The Wednesday Sisters and the forthcoming The Wednesday Daughters. She’s written for The Los Angeles Times, The San Jose Mercury News, Writer’s Digest, Runner’s World,Ms.,The Literary Review and public radio. www.megwaiteclayton.com

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RYAN: VOTED AGAINST ROMNEY: VOTED AGAINST BIDEN: Already did. Yes Yes a thousand times Yes, with glowing teeth. OBAMA: YES. I didn’t do it in my first term but give me 4 more years and I promise I will do it. MEG WAITE CLAYTON: I’m a DYKE but YES I would suck his cock.